Hennessey Is Going For The Production Car Speed Record, Too

Weeks after Koenigsegg outlined its plans, the Texan company has announced its own intention to break 300mph

Updated: 20 Feb 2024

Looks like we might be on for a speed record showdown in 2024. Just a couple of weeks ago, Koenigsegg said it’s working on an attempt to set a new production car record with the Jesko Absolut. Now, low-volume American manufacturer and tuner Hennessey is getting in on the act, with its own designs on 300mph using the Venom F5 hypercar.

As a quick reminder, the current official record of 277.87mph is held by the Koenigsegg Agera RS, a speed it achieved back in 2017. While both the SSC Tuatara and Bugatti Chiron Super Sport have since gone faster, with the Bugatti being the first to breach 300mph, neither of those figures are recognised as they were only achieved in one direction – the official record requires a two-way average to be taken.

Hennessey itself fell foul of this rule 10 years ago when it hit 270mph with the Lotus Exige-based Venom GT. This was faster than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport’s then-official record of 268mph, but the Venom only did the run in one direction.

Clearly, then, the Texan outfit feels it has unfinished business. Founder and CEO, John Hennessey, said: “I love that Koenigsegg is gearing up for big speed, I hope that Bugatti joins the party too – it’s rivalries like this that fuel our passion, and drive us to go faster, innovate more, and push harder.”

The car they plan to use, the Venom F5, should be up to the task. It has a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 1817bhp, and weighs 1360kg. Hennessey reckons it has a theoretical top speed of 328mph, but explicitly states that 300mph is the goal for this year. It also notes that it’s delivered 22 F5s to customers since production began in 2020.

Hennessey has a driver on board for the attempt, three-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb class winner David Donohue, and is currently searching for a suitable site for the F5 to do its thing.

The Hennessey Venom GT achieved 270mph in 2014

When the Ferrari F40 became the first production car to top 200mph, the car as a concept had existed for just over 100 years. Comfortably less than half that time later, we’re looking at two separate attempts to add another 100mph. We’ll be watching both Koenigsegg and Hennessey’s efforts closely throughout the year. Your move, Bugatti and SSC.

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